Simulating Future Climate Scenarios: The Effect on Nitrogen Utilization in Organic Fertilizers on Carrot Crops

Abstract

The anthropogenic addition of reactive nitrogen (Nr) to the biosphere has increased ten-fold in the last century affecting both the nitrogen (N) cycle, and indirectly, the carbon cycle. From the agriculture sector, over half of the N applied is lost to the environment through leaching or gaseous losses leading to eutrophication, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of industrially produced N fertilizers can be reduced by utilizing organic waste products. Manure, animal slurry and food waste are organic sources that supply fertilizers while simultaneously recycling materials. However, in order to maximize N utilization by the crop and minimize N losses and harm to the environment, we need to know how to utilize this material in an efficient manner by synchronizing the mineralization of N with the plant N uptake. To improve our understanding of N in agroecosystems, computer simulations offer a useful supplement to field trials. In this study, the model DeNitrification DeComposition (DNDC) was used to explore how future climate conditions might change the synchrony between N mineralization and crop demand. Simulations suggests that both the quantity of fertilizers applied to carrots and the timing of applications need to change with a changing climate.